


Bed Warmer

by StarTravel



Series: Defiance Through Tenderness [3]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 19:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16687267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarTravel/pseuds/StarTravel
Summary: On the Defiant, Julian tries to solve his roommate’s heating issue. Garak, meanwhile, tries to solve his roommate.





	Bed Warmer

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn’t planned at first, but this ended up being set in the same universe as my other fic “Words Unspoken are Seldom Heard”. You don’t have to read that fic first to read this, but I do think it is going to build into a series where Julian and Garak end up getting together - whatever I end up deciding that means here - during their time on the Defiant.

Garak glances down at where Julian’s mapped out all the rooms on the Defiant, carefully shifting little dots Garak supposes are the crew in different formations. He’s yet to find one he’s satisfied with, every new combination still ultimately leading him back to this room with Garak. Julian lets out a low huff, running one hand down his face until he pulls at the skin a little. Garak glances up from the chair he commandeered for their room, one eye ridge raised over his Padd. “Still trying to get me removed from your quarters?”

 “I just think we’d both be happier in our own, separate rooms.” Julian answers in a low voice as he crosses his arms from where he’s curled on the lower bed, already clad in his striped blue pajamas. Garak thinks they might be the nicest piece of clothing Julian owns, soft silk that’s starting to grow slightly tattered at the edges, no bright colors or mismatching prints in sight. Julian glances up at him with a bit of a scowl, though there’s something bordering on fond in his gaze that Garak suspects his dear Julian doesn’t even realize is there.

 “On the contrary, Doctor, I think these close quarters could be good for you.” Garak can’t help smiling as Julian gives him an exaggerated eye roll, moving further back onto the bed and pulling his blanket up with him. Garak slides to his feet, hands still gripping the padd tightly and purposefully out of Julian’s reach. Julian pulls his ridiculously long legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and brushing his hands along his pajama pants.

 “Good for me? How exactly?” Julian’s voice borders on a whine as he crosses his legs at the ankles, palms still brushing up and down the silk like it was his salvation. Garak shifts closer to him, so his thighs brush up against his bare feet, the slim bones of his ankle sharp against his leg.

 “You need someone to remind you of the realities of war.” Garak smiles brightly as he says this, gaze dancing with a mirth Julian can’t begin to understand. In a way it’s not a lie, just not what Julian thinks going by the muted scoff that slips from his … from Julian’s lips. Garak has somehow temporarily taken on the role of the optimist in their friendship, furtively stealing all of Julian’s dreary war poetry and melancholic novels and replacing them with increasingly lighter fare. Right now he has Julian reading _The Alchemist_ and poetry of someone called Omar Khayyam, who Jadzia claimed always had happy endings. So far it seems effective; Julian’s mood is slowly starting to pick up just a little.

 “I’m not an ingenue anymore, Garak, you don’t need to worry about me,” Julian answers in a voice that comes close but doesn’t quite manage cold, pushing the sole of his foot against Garak’s leg as though to knock him over. Garak smiles, but isn’t quite able to suppress the shiver that runs through him when Garak pulls his foot back a again. The body heat had been nice for a number of reasons. Julian suddenly leans forward, his right hand brushing across his forehead and lips pressed into a thin line. “Though apparently I need to worry about you.”

 “Really? You haven’t done that in months.” Garak can’t help the wounded quality of his voice or the way he shivers again as Julian shifts closer to him, those long limbs pressing up against him softly as Julian gives him a studious once over. Garak wonders if he ever needed the tricorder at all, or if it’s just another concession to the normality Julian clings to so foolishly.

 “I’m going to ignore that,” Julian mutters dryly as he gives Garak a flat look, though there’s a flurry of emotion in his gaze. This Julian is the one Garak knows, the one this war is trying to swallow whole and replace with someone else, something empty. He won’t allow it. Julian’s frown grows tighter even as the emotion in his gaze all melts into concern, his palm suddenly pressing against Garak’s cheek like he’s something fragile. “Garak, you’re shivering.”

 “Sisko keeps the Defiant even colder than deep space 9.” Garak lets out a low groan as another wave of cold air hits him, as though the Defiant is out to punish him for forcing his way through her doors. Julian slides off the bed suddenly, standing up to reach a blanket off of the top bunk that he unceremoniously drops across Garak’s legs. Garak blinks owlishly, tilting his head to the right as he stares up at Julian. “Doctor, What are you doing?”

 “I’m giving you my blanket for warmth, you clearly need it more than me,” Julian explains as he starts to slide off the bottom bunk, only to stop when Garak reaches out and lightly grabs his waist. Julian’s eyes widen a bit, mouth opening and closing as he stares down at Garak. Suddenly he looks less like the cool pragmatist he’s been trying to become since he set foot on the Defiant and more like the awkward idealist Garak first met five years ago. He wonders how much of that Julian he’ll be able to keep, in the end.

 “Doctor, you may not be as sensitive as the cold as me, but you will freeze like that.” Garak’s voice is faint, hands still making small circles against the edge of Julian’s waist. Julian raises an eyebrow, tilting his head to the left as he glances from the top bunk and back to the bottom rapidly. Garak gives him a patient nod, not quite sure what the issue is. Platonic bedsharing is common among friends on Cardassia.

 But then, he supposes its been awhile since he could truly call himself and the doctor friends.

 “Fine, then we’ll share the bed for tonight, and tomorrow I’ll find you some more blankets.” Julian groans as he slides back down on the bed, long legs sliding down to the edge this time as Julian curls up against the corner by the wall. So Garak has the most open space he realizes after a moment, a crooked smile coming over him at the thought.

 Garak climbs onto the bed and lies next to Julian, careful not to touch an inch of the man’s pajamas. If humans were so hesitant about sharing a bed, he can only imagine how they feel about touch. Julian lets out an annoyed hum-like sound, suddenly reaching back and pulling on Garak until his arm wraps securely around Julian’s waist and back. “Doctor?”

 “Elim, we are sharing a bed, you could call me by your name.” Julian’s voice, just for a moment is light and teasing, the warmth of early days back as he tugs Garak closer to him, until he’s practically lying on top of Julian. He stiffens just for a moment arm like a metal snare where it’s wrapped around Julian’s waist.

 Then Garak forces himself to relax bit by bit, pulling Julian closer to his chest as he tries to roll back so he’s no longer crushing Julian. Much to his surprise, Julian makes a sound that borders on a whine, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer until he’s back on top of him. Garak can’t help chortling into Julian’s ear. “If we’re sharing for heat, why do I have to be, what do you terrans call it, the big spoon?”

 “I like your weight on my back and it’s easier to read from this position.” Julian voice is just a touch defensive as he reaches for the padd still in Garak’s right hand, only for Garak to slide it down across the floor until it his the wall opposite of their bed with a low clink. Julian lets out a low groan but makes no move to go after it, flopping back down onto the bed instead.

 “Whatever you say, Doctor,” Garak whispers against those soft curls as he pulls the blankets more heavily around both of them. It’s still not quite as warm as he’d like to be, but it’s far better and the scent of Julian, a strange mixture of orange blossoms from his shampoo and anastethic from the medbay, has a certain comfort that slowly lols Garak to sleep.

* * *

   Julian wakes up more rested than he’s felt in weeks, something cool and heavy weighing down on him. It feels a bit like he’s being embraced and Julian makes a small humming sound as he as he presses his face back against the pillow. Then he feels hot breath against his ear and the memories of last night come flooding back to him. Julian stills underneath where Garak is in fact embracing him, while also providing a delightful pressure Julian normally only gets by lying several comforters on top of each other and - he doesn’t know what time it is.

 “Garak, we need to get up.” Julian stretches out as much as he can from underneath Garak, elbowing the other man gently when he gives no signs of life of waking up. He brushes against a few scales through his pajamas and can’t help grinning a little at the feel, glad that Garak can’t see his face right now. Still, Julian needs to work, god knows how many patients are waiting for him already. “Well, I need to get up and as nice as you being on top of me is, it’s not helping.”

 “I’ve been awake for several hours, my dear Julian.” Garak’s voice is lilting and amused as it hits Julian’s ear, fingers brushing against his arms as he pushes himself up enough from the bed for Julian to roll over. Julian bites his lip, carefully scanning Garak for signs of lingering chills or exhaustion. Garak catches his hand suddenly and smiles, small and almost sincere. “But don’t worry, I slept well. I had a good bed warmer.”

 Julian huffs in annoyance as he pushes on Garak’s chest, pouting a bit as the other man lets out a rich laugh that reverberates across the room. Garak sits up enough for Julian to slide to his feet, crossing the room to the grey wardrobe jammed in the corner. Julian glances back at him and tries to force his face back into the carefree mask he’s been wearing with everyone but Miles - and even him, a little - since they boarded the the Defiant. He finds it doesn’t slip on quite so easily this morning. “Very funny. Well, by tonight you’ll have your six blankets.”

 “Then what excuse will use to have me lie on top of you?” Garak asks from where he’s still lounging on the bottom bunk, blankets wrapped around him still. Knowing Garak he’ll somehow manage to beat Julian to the bridge either way.

 “Goodbye, Garak,” Julian answers in a tight voice, already feeling the flush start to spread up his neck to his cheeks as he hurriedly pulls on the rest of his uniform. Garak smirks at him until Julian’s safely out the door and can try to bury his feelings again.

 When he comes back to their quarters that night with the six blankets, There’s no bunk bed anymore. Instead there are two beds pushed against each other to make up one larger one that takes up half the room. It should scare Julian that he can’t quite bring himself to care.


End file.
